Liquid-vacuum generator for use with two chamber cleaning nozzle

ABSTRACT

A compact liquid - vacuum generator for use with a two chamber cleaning nozzle in rug and upholstery cleaning comprises a vacuum unit and a liquid unit, which may be transported and stored seperately, but which snap together during use to form a single operating assembly.

United States Patent 1191 Evans I 3,854,163 1 51 Dec. 17,1974

3,308,609 3/1967 McCulloch et a1.

3,343,199 9/1967 No1te...........

3,775,053 11/1973 Wisdom..

' James King Evans, 2601 Kutz town Primary ExaminerBernard Nozick Rd,Reading, Pa. 19605 1 Sept. 12, 1973 Attorney, Agent,

[22] Filed:

or Firm-John C. Fox

ABSTRACT App]. No.: 396,501

US. A compact liquid Vacuum generator for use with a two chambercleaning nozzle in rug and upholstery 52 1s/321,5 5/216 511111.114717/00 Field of Search.......... 15/302, 320, 321, 327 R,55/417, 216, 276, 319, 467

cleaning comprises a vacuum unit and a liquid unit, which may betransported and stored separately, but

which snap together during use to form a single operating assembly.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure lLIQUID-VACUUM GENERATOR FOR- USE WITH TWO CHAMBER CLEANING NOZZLEBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a liquid vacuumgenerator for use with a two chamber cleaning nozzle in the cleaning ofrugs, carpets, and upholstery, and more particularly to such a generatorcomprising seperably vacuum and liquid units.

The heated liquid vacuum generator for use with a two chamber cleaningnozzle in rug, carpet and upholstery .cleaning has come into fairlywidespread use commercially within the past several years, due-to itsability to more thoroughly clean piled fabrics than the moreconventional vacuum cleaners and rug shampooers. Typical of suchgenerators is the one described in the F. E. Hays US. Pat. No.3,262,146. This generator em ploys two tanks positioned on a portablehousing, a first liquid tank for supplying cleaning solution to the nozSUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A compact liquid vacuum generatorof use-with aa float, not shown, to form a float valve which operates as a safetymechanism in a manner to be described. The

exhaust side of blower l3 isconnected to silencer'l7,

which exhausts through the side of housing b. Vac uum inlet 18 entersthe vacuum tank 10a near the top of the tank, and turns at approximatelya right angle to the entrance direction. Sealed lid'20 permits accesstothe interior of the tank for cleaning or repair.

Thecleaning solution unit 11 comprises solution tank 11a and portablehousing 11b. Tank 1121 has an opening in the topto admit fresh cleaningsolution, and is preferably of a transparent material such aspolycarbonate, but could be of other light, strong material such asaluminum. The housing is supported by three castors 21 only one ofwhich, 21a, is shown. Inoperation,

cleaning solution is fed to liquid pump 22 in the housing throughsolution inlet line 23 opening into the bottom of tank .11a, and pumpedthrough solution supply twochamber cleaning nozzle in rug and upholsterycleaning comprises a'vacuum unit and a liquid unit, which may betransported and stored seperately, but

which are joined together during use to form a single operatingassembly. I

' For mechanical stability in assembled form, the units are box shapedand of approximately equal dimensions in a preferred embodiment.

The vacuum and liquid tanks are preferably made of a light, strongmaterial, which may also be transparent in order that the solutionlevels'in the tanks may easily be monitored during operation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE, DRAWING The FIGURE is a perspective view,partly cut away,

of one embodiment of the invention, showing a liquid vacuumgenerator'with the liquid and vacuum units partly assembled.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now. to the FIGURE,there is shown one embodiment of the invention'comprising vacuum unit 10and liquid unit 11. Vacuum unit 10 comprises vac,-

uum tank 10a, preferably of a transparent material .such aspolycarbonate, but could be of other light strong material such asaluminum, and portable housing 10b, the portability provided by threecastors 12, only two of which, 12a and 12b, are shown. Housing 10bcontains vacuum blower 13, the inlet side of which is connected tostandpipe 14, which extends through the top of housing 10b into thevacuum tank 10a. A uline 24 to the solution chamber of the cleaningnozzle, not shown. A detailed disclosure of the structure and operationof the cleaning nozzle may be-found in US.

Pat. No. 3,262,146. Tank 10a is evacuated through standpipe 14. Theperforated enclosure 16 containing the float prevents backflow of spentcleaning solution into standpipe14 and thence into blower'13, by allow-.ing-the float to rise with solution and seal the opening. Thespentsolution may then be drained through opening 19 at the end of thecleaning operation.

Power is supplied to the units from lead 26, throug switch 27 mounted onthe outside of vacuum housing I 10b. Leads 28a and 28b from switch 27connect respec-} tively to the vacuum blower and a receptacle 29 mountedon the outside of the solution housing l-lb. Receptacle 29 is connectedto the the solution housing 11b. Receptacle 29 is connected to theliquid pump 22 by lead'30. v ii y The vacuum and solution units areattached by releasable spring clamps on opposite sides of the housings10b and 11b, only one pair of which, 25a and 25b, are shown in theFIGUREreleased for illustrative purposes to allow seperation of theforward portions of the respective units. The other pair, not shown,remain clamped to hold the rear inside vertical edges of the units inreleasable contact. In operation, both pair, are clamped together, whilefor easy transporting and storage, both of the clamps are simplyreleased to separate the units, and lead 28b is disconnected fromreceptacle 29.

. The housing may also contain a solution heater connected to the pumpoutlet, to obtain heated cleaning solution. Such heated solution maybepreferred for,

cleaning heavily soiled items, although warm solutions obtained withhousehold tap water have been found satisfactory for most cleaning jobs.

The invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment.However, it is to be understood that variations which rely on theteachings herein, and which are within the skill of the art to effect,form a part of this invention. What is claimed is:

l. A two tank liquid vacuum generator for use with a two chambercleaning nozzle comprisingi shaped connector 15 is attached to the topof standpipe 6 l4 and a perforated enclosure 16 is attached to the openend of connector 15. The enclosure-16 contains a first vacuum unitcomprising;

a first housing,

vacuum means having an intake and an outlet,

mounted within the first housing, a vacuum tank mounted on the firsthousing,

a float valve-attached to the top of the standpipe,

A second liquid unit comprising;

a second housing, a liquid pump having an intake and an outlet,

mounted within the second housing,

a liquid tank mounted on the second housing,

a liquid supply line extending from the bottom of the liquid tank to theintake pump, and

a liquid tube having one end thereof communicating with the pump and theother end thereof formed for releasable connection to the cleaningnozzle, and

means for releasably joining the vacuum unit and liquid unit to form thegenerator.

2. The generator of claim 1 in which the joiningmeans comprises at leasttwo releasable spring clamps,

mounted on opposite sides of the firstand second hous ings. v

side of the liquid-

1. A two tank liquid - vacuum generator for use with a two chambercleaning nozzle comprising: a first vacuum unit comprising; a firsthousing, vacuum means having an intake and an outlet, mounted within thefirst housing, a vacuum tank mounted on the first housing, a standpipeextending upwardly from the bottom of the vacuum tank, a vacuum linecommunicating the intake side of the vacuum means with the lower end ofthe standpipe, a vacuum inlet having one end thereof extending inwardlythrough the side of the vacuum tank near the top of the vacuum tank inthe vicinity of the top of the standpipe, and the other end thereofformed for releasable connection to the cleaning nozzle, a float valveattached to the top of the standpipe, A second liquid unit comprising; asecond housing, a liquid pump having an intake and an outlet, mountedwithin the second housing, a liquid tank mounted on the second housing,a liquid supply Line extending from the bottom of the liquid tank to theintake side of the liquid pump, and a liquid tube having one end thereofcommunicating with the pump and the other end thereof formed forreleasable connection to the cleaning nozzle, and means for releasablyjoining the vacuum unit and liquid unit to form the generator.
 2. Thegenerator of claim 1 in which the joining means comprises at least tworeleasable spring clamps, mounted on opposite sides of the first andsecond housings.